Ceramic components are useful in a wide array of products due to their physical properties and characteristics. For example, ceramic and ceramic-based materials typically have high strength and light weight.
Because some ceramics are optically opaque, it is often useful to remove material to form holes to provide an optical window for other components, particularly those requiring an optical stimulus (e.g., cameras) or those generating a visual stimulus (e.g., display or light source). One solution is to insert an optical member into a hole formed in the ceramic material.
However, conventional methods of inserting optical members into a ceramic housing rely on the use of adhesives or other bonding agents for mechanical integrity, or may require the use of additional structures, such as bezels. Some conventional methods of inserting optical members into a ceramic material may result in a product having a potentially weak region around the optical member. In addition, some conventional methods may result in unsatisfactory environmental permeability, which may increase the risk of ingress of water or debris. While the permeability may be improved by forming a bezel over the region, the use of bezels and other structures may increase the size and weight of the device, and may also require a relatively large amount of surface area.